Through the Eyes of a Child
by Ofi
Summary: Heero comes back to celebrate the end of the war but he finds a young girl who looks alot like Relena but no one will tell him who she is because they're all dealing with how long its been since the war ended and how their lives are still being effected ~


Disclaimer: don't own anything but Kari in this fic.the song is by Savage Garden and called "to the moon and back" remember to review!!! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
A young man walks up the path way to a large house. His brown hair shields most of his face but when the wind blows that back it reveals his stunning blue eyes. When he reaches the door he lifts his hand to knock but he leaves it there suspended. He almost starts to walk away, but he seems to remember something. His face takes on a confident look and he knocks. Seconds later the door is opened by a little girl, the man looks taken back. The girl's bright blue eyes looks disappointed,  
  
"Hey you're not my Uncle Quatre!"  
  
The man doesn't answer just racks his brains trying to remember if Duo ever told him about his. The girl's blue eyes are a dead give away, the blue eyed trademark of the Peacecraft Family.  
  
"Kari! How many times have I told you not to open the door like that!" a familiar voice shouts,  
  
"But I thought it was Uncle Quatre!"  
  
The girl can be no older than five, her jet black hair barely brushing her shoulder as she stares at him intently. Relena Darlain starts to pick up the little girl not yet seeing her visitor  
  
"I'm sorry but I can never be too careful with.HEERO?!" Kari squirms out of Relena's grasp and hides behind her.  
  
"You came," she says in an awed voice  
  
"Am I early?"  
  
"Yes you are. Quatre and the others should be arriving shortly" Kari peeks out behind Relena before running off.  
  
"Where are my manners?" Relena says with a laugh "Come in" Heero walks in and sets his bag down surveying Relena's house.  
  
"This place hasn't changed" "Neither have you" he thinks analyzing her from the corner of his eye.  
  
"How have you been?" she asks for the sake of conversation  
  
"Good, I guess and you?"  
  
"Good but busy"  
  
"So who's the kid?"  
  
"Oh Kari? Kari is my-"A sudden crash stops Relena from finishing her answer  
  
"KARI!!! Sorry I'll be right back" she says running off "I'm glad you came!" she shouts disappearing into the hall.  
  
"Damn" Heero mutters "Who is that girl?"  
  
Kari sneaks back into the foyer, seeing Heero she raises a finger to her lips for silence. Heero has to smiles, and seeing that Kari smiles too.  
  
"So who are you?" Heero asks in a whisper. The girl stands straight  
  
"I'm Kari Peacecraft. Are you really Heero Yuy?" Surprised she knows who he is he answers  
  
"Yeah I guess I am"  
  
"Really!!??!!" Her eyes widen with wonder  
  
"Yes really"  
  
Someone knock s on the door and seeing that no one seems in a rush to get it Heero opens it.  
  
"HEERO?!"  
  
"UNCLE QUATRE!!" Kari shouts running into his open arms.  
  
"How's my favorite girl?"  
  
"Great so whatcha bring me?"  
  
Relena walks back in "I thought I heard her" Looking past Quatre she asks  
  
"And the others?"  
  
"Trowa is bringing his things; Duo is coming and bringing Wufei. Hilde, Sally, and Dorothy are coming together" He fumbles in his pockets and produces a small gift  
  
"For you" Kari squeals and tears it open  
  
"Noin and Milliardo?"  
  
"Regret to say they will not be able to join us but they leave us their presence in the form of-"  
  
"HEY WE'RE HERE!!" Duo announces, spotting Heero he laughs  
  
"Please don't tell me he got here first!"  
  
"Hey Uncle Duo!" Kari laughs and tugs on the American's braid. Duo picks her up and twirls her around "Hey baby girl!"  
  
"Look at what Uncle Quatre gave me!"  
  
"Kari." Relena warns but Kari doesn't listen as she proudly holds out her wrist and A silver bracelet sparkles  
  
"Gundamion Alloy Quatre?" Duo says in a questioning tone  
  
"Well her father was a pilot she deserves a small link into what happened before her birth" "Her father was a pilot?" Heero thinks Duo produces a chocolate bar for Kari and she runs off to see her next Uncle, Wufei.  
  
"This should be interesting" Heero murmurs to Duo "You haven't seen this kid in action she's a pro like her mom and dad." Kari climbs up a table and jumps off in a funny stance leaving Wufei no choice but to catch her.  
  
"Wufei's kick" Heero whispers with a hint of amusement. Her face is etched in disappointment but Wufei's slowly spreads into a smile.  
  
"We'll work on it" Someone knocks on the door  
  
"I'll get it" Relena says "Dorothy!"  
  
"Aunt Dorothy!" Kari shouts running out.  
  
Dorothy Catalonia walks in holding Kari in the crook of her arm. Hilde Sally Catherine and Trowa follow. Dorothy stops when she sees Heero causing Hilde to run into her then Trowa then Sally and Catherine who were deep in conversation.  
  
"Why do you all seem so surprised to see me?"  
  
"Because we're here to celebrate the end of the war and you haven't come in over two years to celebrate you being out of your element." Dorothy states in her usual blunt manner. Heero is silent a moment then retorts  
  
"It's been four years, soldiers adapt."  
  
"So" Relena says trying to break the tension, "Time to catch up!"  
  
The group settles into Relena's spacious living room.  
  
"Duo are you still working in the Salvaging Yard?"  
  
"Yeah" Duo says looking at Hilde briefly who flashes him a beautiful smile.  
  
"In four hours the war will have officially ended." Sally says "I have to leave soon I promised Lady Une and Miss Mariemia I would see the end with them"  
  
"How is she doing?"  
  
"Good. I keep telling both of them to work less like I keep telling you Miss Relena" Relena laughs softly and goes back to humming a tune that's sending Kari to sleep.  
  
"You must be proud, she's such a great kid" "She is and I love her so much Noin and Milliardo are jealous" Duo had mentioned that the two had married a year or two ago.  
  
"Don't worry Relena the time for marriage and such will come soon"  
  
"Thank you Dorothy" Relena smile sand grasps her friends hand.  
  
"Well I'm off" Sally announces standing up "Anybody need a ride?"  
  
"I do" Catherine voices, she hugs Trowa "By little brother I love you" Walking with the two out the door Sally says. "Tell Noin I say hello! And I want to baby sit!" Relena waves and walks back inside  
  
"Two hours" Dorothy says her voice sad. Kari's head in her lap "I'll be back before then but I need to go now it's a long ride to the cemetery. I have to.you know"  
  
Relena takes her hand "I know, do you want me to go with you?"  
  
"Yes.yes will you please come and you too Hilde?"  
  
"Of course" Hilde says taking Dorothy's other hand. The pilots are silent, this is a bittersweet time for all of them. For Dorothy it was a bit harder with her passion for war and being relative to Trieze. She visits his grave every time this part of the year comes.  
  
"Will you guys look after Kari? I hate to take her when she's sleeping so peacefully"  
  
"We will" Quatre assures. Relena bends down and kisses the top of Kari's head still humming the same tune. Hand in hand the three women walk out.  
  
"We'll be back" Quatre whispers Trowa, Wufei, and Duo follow after him.  
  
"Wait what about her?" Heero says trying to keep his voice low  
  
"We'll take shifts" Heero looks down at Kari who shifts in her sleep and opens her eyes.  
  
"Have fun" Duo says a bit loudly.  
  
"Mommy?! Where are you?" she says groggily.  
  
"Shh...Its okay Relena will be back soon"  
  
"Oh Heero it's you is she with Aunt Dorothy?"  
  
"Yeah she is now go back to sleep."  
  
"I cant I'm awake see?" she rubs her eyes and opens them even wider than they already are. Heero gives a small smile  
  
"I see"  
  
"So let's play!!! No wait.you look tired do you wanna take a nap?"  
  
"Ignorance is an amazing thing" Heero thinks, "No I'll be okay. How old are you, Kari?" She holds up three fingers and bends a fourth one.  
  
"Three and a half" she says proudly.  
  
"Wow"  
  
"So you're Heero Yuy"  
  
"Yeah I guess I am"  
  
"They said you wouldn't come but Lena said you would. She misses you I can tell"  
  
"I miss her too" he says quietly,  
  
"Why don't you tell her?"  
  
"It's hard"  
  
"Oh uh. did you give her the teddy bear she always sleeps with?"  
  
"Yeah a long time ago"  
  
"She's glad you're back" Kari says standing up "I can tell by the way she smiles. I'm glad I got to meet you too Uncle Heero" She curtsies and skips out.  
  
"Just like Relena" he thinks for a moment then follows after her. Kari is with Trowa and Quatre as they play music. Duo walks in and announces "One hour!" and picks up Kari. She laughs and bites into a piece of chocolate,  
  
"Dance with me Uncle Wufei" Duo sits next to Heero and watches Wufei dance Kari through the room.  
  
"Wufei was married once.before the war"  
  
"Let me guess her name was Nataku?" Ignoring him Duo continues  
  
"Her name was Meiran she died trying to save their colony died along with the rest of them" Heero looks back at Wufei who is smiling and Kari who is laughing. It's amazing how one little girl brings out something in them that they thought they had lost in the war. What he had taken for ignorance he realizes is innocence.  
  
"45 minutes. The girls should be getting here soon." Kari climbs onto the sofa where the two sit.  
  
"I'm tired," she says "When you guys come, I always get tired fast" Quatre begins to play the lullaby Relena had been humming earlier.  
  
"30 minutes" Duo stands and walks to the door "Where are you going Maxwell?" Wufei calls  
  
"Hey even the God of Death needs to reflect" Trowa soon packs his flute and leaves followed by Wufei and then the last notes in Quatre's violin slowly fade.  
  
"Quatre this isn't funny you want me to take care of her this whole time don't you?" Quatre smiles saying  
  
"Consider it a way of retaliating. And by the way it's hilarious" Kari's head rests against his arm.  
  
"I'm tired" she murmurs "But I can't sleep"  
  
Her eyes almost close then fly back open. He doesn't know what to do then he has an idea. Gently picking her up he starts humming the lullaby that by then has been pushed into his mind. He waltzes her around  
  
"History is like an Endless Waltz in three-four time. The Never-Ending steps of War, Peace and Revolution. I'll explain that to you when you get older" he whispers. When he hears her breathing come evenly he tries to find a room to lay her in. Walking into a room not to far from Relena's it's easy to tell it's Kari's. If the dollhouse hadn't been obvious enough the pink bed sheets would have. He checks the clock, 20 minutes to go. He lays her down with an ease he never knew he could have, still humming the lullaby. Heero pulls up a chair and watches her. The same tune why cant he get it out of his head? He looks at Kari a bit closer her black hair lays in her face in a familiar way and her pride has the hint of a spirit he knows.  
  
".....She packs a bag for outerspace...And now she is waitin' for the right kind of Pilot to come... And she'll say to him...she'll say...I would Fly to the Moon and Back.. If you'll be...if you'll be my baby....I've got a ticket for world were we belong..." someone from behind him sings finally putting words to the song.  
  
"You thought she was my daughter didn't you?" Relena asks quietly.  
  
"Yes" Heero says bluntly. She laughs softly, 15 minutes are left.  
  
"You managed to get her to sleep, I can't believe it. Sometimes I can't get her to do that only her father can I never imagined you a father." Heero gives her a look and replies says blankly,  
  
"I never intended to come across as one" 10 minutes.  
  
"How different the world must look through her eyes," Heero says "Much more innocent that from what I see. The bracelet Quatre gave her, to her it's only a pretty bracelet. To us it's Gundamion Alloy, a reminder of the past of what was. She may never how hard it must have been for Quatre to get that. She does something to all of us that let's us forget who we are and who we were. Looks at Wufei, even Dorothy. Milliardo must be one happy man. Milliardo a father Noin a mother somehow it fit's doesn't it?" 5 minutes,  
  
"He wanted you to meet her. Put a face to all the stories"  
  
3 minutes. Heero finally looks at her, eyes closed leaning against the wall faint rays of the setting sun highlight her face. He can't explain it but something has changed between them. He looks back at Kari so small in her bed, the sheets rising and falling as she breathes in and out.  
  
"Happy end of the war"  
  
"Happy?" Relena questions pointing outside the window. He stands next to her looking at what she was showing him. Outside in the garden sits Dorothy her back to them. She's crying they can tell by the way her back shakes, and her hands cover her face. Relena remembers that on the drive back she could barely stop her tears, today she has outlived yet another one of her relatives. Relena looks at Heero why had he accepted her invitation? Especially after all those other times. He meets her eyes and she blushes and looks away.  
  
"Yes, happy"  
  
He looks back outside and Relena follows his gaze and sees Quatre sitting with Dorothy his arm around her. Her head is on his shoulder and she's still crying but Quatre is saying something that is calming her down. Relena looks back at Heero and smiles  
  
"Maybe."  
  
From her bed Kari opens one eye. Seeing that the attention is no longer on her she opens the other one. She feels the Jade pendant Uncle Wufei gave her; it's a jade dragon. He said it was a promise, it meant that as soon as she was old enough she could go visit his clan The Dragon Clan. He would help her train. Next she runs a finger over her new bracelet, Gundam something. What a big word but she'll remember it, she'll find out what it is what Uncle Heero meant. Kari looks at Aunt Lena and Uncle Heero. They're both just standing there looking at each other. She smiles and sings softly to herself her favorite lullaby the one Aunt Lena sings to her. But she forgets most of the words and only remembers the ending "In my eyes you belong" or something like that. Why doesn't the world see itself like she does? Aunt Lena and Uncle Heero would be a lot happier. It should end like the stories daddy reads to her. 


End file.
